For You
by StormOfImagination
Summary: "What?" JJ's shocked voice echoed through the bullpen, closely followed by the distinct sound of the papers she had been holding hitting the floor with a loud rustle, drawing any eyes that hadn't already been on her and Hotch to her. ***M FOR VIOLENCE***
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So, for those of you following Another Try or Hurt Me, don't panic, I'm still updating them, but I got this idea into my head last night and it just won't seem to get unstuck, and I'm home sick all day yesterday, so I've got an opportunity to write, plus, if I didn't, the lovely spider muse of mine will bite, and thats really not nice.**

"What?" JJ's shocked voice echoed through the bullpen, closely followed by the distinct sound of the papers she had been holding hitting the floor with a loud rustle, drawing any eyes that hadn't already been on her and Hotch to her. Her surprised emotions and wide eyes drew Morgan's attention, and he frowned.

"JJ, maybe this isn't a conversation to have here right now." Hotch said quietly, but not quiet enough that it couldn't be heard. "I know it's a lot to take in ,and that it's going to be difficult, but it's above my paygrade. Strauss' too. There's only so much that I can do. I'm not pleased that this is happening either."

JJ shook her head, steadying herself on the handrail with one hand as her other hand nervously ran through her hair, even as her knuckles tightened almost imperceptibly on the railing, indicating a lot to those of the people there that knew JJ's signs.

Morgan frowned and stood up from his desk, standing behind JJ and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the back of her head. "I got you baby." he said softly, only turning to address Hotch after JJ had nodded mutely, turning to bury her head in Morgan's chest, his arms tightening protectively around the blonde that had become his life. It was no secret to anyone in the office that he and JJ had been dating, since they'd grown close after Will left a little over a year ago.

"Hotch, what's going on?" Morgan asked, and there was a definite tone difference between the way he had addressed JJ and the way he was addressing the unit chief. Whatever was going on, Hotch had started it, because JJ had been fine when they had arrived at work this morning.

Hotch sighed, rubbing his forehead. "It's not really my business to tell you." he said tiredly. Morgan sighed somewhat angrily at the unit chief's usual way of trying to avoid keeping the whole team involved in something that involved just one agent.

"Whatever it is, it scared the hell out of my girlfriend, and therefore, it just became my business know, whether you tell me now or she tells me later." Morgan said bluntly. "JJ and I don't keep things from each other, and you know that. And personally, I'd rather know now so I have some idea of what to expect if JJ continues to not take this well instead of waiting until she's in a place where she can tell me just what the hell is going on."

Hotch started to open his mouth to say something, but JJ cut him off. "You can tell him, Hotch." JJ said softly, her voice disturbingly quiet, an unusual habit that betrayed just how much whatever was going on was affecting her already. Hotch nodded, and sighed once more.

"I did all I could to prevent it from happening." the unit chief said. "I tried stopping it, Strauss tried stopping it, hell, Strauss' superiors tried stopping it," he started to say, but Morgan cut him off.

"We're not at a team meeting, Hotch." Morgan snapped, the combination of JJ's behavior and Hotch's apology for not being able to help ramping up his nerves. "Just cut the fancy speech and tell me what the hell is going on."

Hotch sighed and shook his head. "Okay. If that's what you want. I was trying to make it easier for you." he said. He took a deep breath, like he wasn't quite coming to terms with it yet himself. "I got a call from Strauss' superior, who had subsequently gotten a call from the National Guard. As you know,

we're preparing for a war with North Korea, and they've been recruiting FBI agents. Well," he paused and took a breath before continuing, and Morgan's heart sunk with a dreading feeling that he knew where this conversation was going. "They want JJ to go. No, want isn't the right word. They're taking her."

"What?" Morgan nearly shouted. "No! That isn't happening! I mean, damn, Hotch, she's got Henry here! Besides, she's never even had military training! Why not you, or me, or Rossi or Blake? We've all served before. JJ's just our media liaison! She can't serve, especially not overseas in a major war!" The overwhelming realization that he was losing JJ to the very country he once served and was still working for hit him square in the chest, and he held JJ close to him, well aware but unconcerned that most of the bullpen had turned their eyes to watch the scene unfolding in front of Hotch's office.

"Morgan." JJ's soft voice drew his dark brown eyes away from Hotch, and his gaze fell on the blonde beauty pressed so close to had seen a future with this woman, the once in a lifetime girl who had finally settled him down from the party life he had used to lead. "I'll be okay. They just want me to come down to the base for a while. I probably won't ever see the field. I'll be doing the same thing I'm doing here over there, except I'll be fielding missions, not cases."

"I've seen bases destroyed. People who weren't ever supposed to see the field killed." Morgan said softly, no trace of his previous anger in the way he addressed JJ. "Or worse. I don't want to lose you, Jen." His thumb traced the line of her cheekbone, causing the faintest hint of a smile to dance across JJ's face.

"You won't lose me. Ever." JJ said softly. "I won't be gone for long. They said at most it would be a two year tour, and I've still got eight months to get myself back into military shape before I have to leave. They said they were willing to provide me with a physical trainer, so I'll be staying here in the area until I leave."

"I'll train you." Morgan said impulsively. "I'm still in shape, and I have been since I came back from the marines. I'll train you, show you the ropes on how to get yourself in shape and stay that way." he was just hoping, longing for a way to spend as much time with her as he could before she was shipped away on what he was dreading was a death mission. Any invasion into North Korea wasn't going to go well, and he had a sinking suspicion that there was still something that JJ and Hotch were keeping from him.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Oh, and sorry for the huge delay. I just got wrapped up in my real life.:/ I remembered how much easier it is here, so I'll update more, especially with the school year coming to a close. Special shoutout to sander9876 for reminding me that I hadn't updated in way too long.**

"I don't know." JJ said softly. "I don't want to make it any harder for you then it is." Everything about the young woman was off; her posture, her tone, even her volume. It all seemed to be unusually quiet, like she was admitting defeat. It wasn't like JJ to go without a fight; she was a firey young woman, and if something wasn't done to her satisfaction or something wasn't acceptable in her book, you were sure to get an earful about it. She would fight to the death for her friends and family. It wasn't like her at all to just get a set of especially bad news and then give up.

Morgan gently tilted JJ's chin up, kissing her on the forehead. "One, I want to make sure that you're trained right, by someone whose actually seen the field and knows what skills you do and don't use. And two, if I get to spend that much more time with you, it won't make it any easier when you leave but it will make it easier for me now." he said. The slightest hint of a smile graced JJ's features, and Morgan held her tightly to his chest, taking a shaky breath.

"Morgan, JJ, I'm giving you the day off. Go home, pick Henry up from school, spend some time together." Hotch said gently, and the Unit Chief's face showed that he was taking it as hard as JJ and Morgan. "I'll deal with telling the team."

JJ turned to look at Hotch from an angle, shaking her head from the safety of Morgan's arms. "I'll go home later, Hotch, but I want to be the one to tell the team. They'll take it better from me."

Hotch frowned slightly. "JJ, that's a lot of stress on you, and besides, I doubt the team is going to take this well from anyone, whether it was from you or Strauss or me."

JJ nodded. "I know." she said softly. "But I want to be the one to tell them. I don't want them to think I don't care enough about them to just have the news passed on second hand. I saw what happened when Emily left, I don't want to do that to them again."

Hotch nodded with a sigh. "You don't have to tell them today, if you want to take the time and come to grips with it yourself before making it public."

JJ couldn't help but chuckle. "The only person I want to see me have a grip on it is my parents. They'll be worried, and they need to see me strong. I'm not saying that the team doesn't, but they're closer to me. It's easier for me to tell them first."

Hotch nodded. "Just make sure you take all the time you need getting yourself together. I'll call the team in." he said. With a gesture to the team, he started herding them into the conference room, giving Morgan and JJ a moment to themselves.

Throughout the whole conversation, Morgan had stayed silent, the grave matter of what was to come gradually sinking in. he would have to look after Henry while JJ was overseas. He loved the kid dearly, and was well-aware that his feelings were reciprocated by the young boy, but seeing him everyday, seeing the moments where his behavior so closely mimicked JJ's were bound to make it tough.

"Are you going to tell Will?" Morgan asked softly, worried that Henry's father would try and demand that Henry stay with him during the duration of JJ's tour. Having seen the remnants of how Will had treated JJ in the past, he was afraid that if Will did get temporary custody, the aggressive abuse would be passed onto their son.

JJ thought for a moment, but nodded. "Yeah." she said with a sigh. "He has a right to know as Henry's father. But I'm going to insist that Henry stays with you. I can't risk Henry going through what I did with Will." her voice shook slightly at the mention of the rough years she had spent with Will; the beer bottles thrown at her back, the drunken nights he'd throw himself at anything feminine looking, the threats and bruises that JJ had kept under wraps for much too long.

Morgan nodded, relieved. "I'll take care of him, Jayje. Don't worry about him. Just worry about getting yourself home safe." he said softly.

JJ shook her head slightly. "Don't start talking like that." she said quietly, looking at the ground. "Talking like I'm leaving tonight. I've got eight months. I just want to pretend that it's gonna be okay for those eight months, as normal as it can be. I don't want people walking on eggshells around me."

Morgan sighed but nodded, well aware of his girlfriend's need to be treated normally. "Okay." he said softly.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: So... I no longer have a life. X) No, that's not true. I have a life. My life just revolves around the internet. Facebook, Gmail, Fanfiction, Instagram, Cbs, Netflix... haha. You get the point. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

It only took JJ a few more minutes and a couple of deep breaths before she finally got a grip. Morgan kept his hand on the small of her back, trying his hardest to resist his urges to take her and just run away from it all, become whole new people. He wanted nothing more than to crush her against his chest, hold her close until he didn't have a choice but to let her go. But he knew that JJ was an independent woman, and he wasn't going to risk losing her now because of his insane need to protect her.

Even as they stepped into the conference room, Morgan's hand on the small of her back, the team could see that something was off with the usually comfortable couple. It was uncommon to see them that distant from one another.

"What's wrong, my lovelies?" Garcia tried to chirp, but even her usual happiness was shaken by her worry that something had gone wrong. "Are you adding to my baby army?" Her attempt to joke drew a sad smile from JJ, but she shook her head.

"No, Garcia." she said quietly. "It's not good news at all, to be honest." There was the slightest hint of a tremor in her voice, and for a moment, Morgan drew her closer to his side until she calmed herself and continued on.

"Bella, what's going on that has you so shaken?" Rossi asked gently, the use of his loving nickname only making it rougher on both JJ and Morgan, another detail that would be missed in her long absence. "You know we're all here for you, and you can always tell us anything that's going on." Even as Rossi was talking, Emily was watching JJ and Morgan closely, as if she could profile the truth out of them.

"Who is leaving?" Spencer asked bluntly. "The last few times that I've seen you all shaken up like this, somebody has left. Whose leaving?" In a heartbeat, Spencer's words had summarized everyone's greatest fear- that they were going to lose another one of their loved ones. Having thought they lost both Emily and JJ for some period of time, and with the recent loss of Strauss, they couldn't take another loss.

"I am." JJ said quietly, stepping away from Morgan. He frowned at the loss of contact, but knew that JJ was never much of one for public affection, especially in the workplace. The intensity of what she had just said sunk in with her team, and they all reacted suddenly. Spencer looked hurt, Garcia blinked back tears, and Rossi looked stunned. Only Hotch kept his schooled emotions in check, and that was only because he had known what was to come.

"Why?" Rossi asked quietly, dumbfounded that the blonde he loved like a daughter would just walk away. "What's going on?" He found himself instantly doubting Morgan, wondering if something had gone wrong with their relationship or if something had come up between Morgan and someone else.

JJ took a deep breath, steadying herself before she began to speak. "Hotch got a call this morning from-" she started to say, but she choked, and found herself stopping and starting again once she had herself under control. "He got a call from the National Guard," once again she was interrupted, but this time by an audible gasp from Garcia.

"No." the blonde genius whimpered, barely holding back the tears. "They can't take you away. We just got Emily back." Rossi gently put a hand on Garcia's arm, nodding at JJ to continue.

"And they're taking me to be a media liasion overseas in the war zone." JJ said quietly, but her face betrayed her calm tone. Her eyes shined with tears, and she had clenched her hands over the back of her chair to stop them from shaking. "In North Korea."

"They can't just take you away, not again, the Pentagon took you once and now they're taking you again, but this time you might not come back the same," Garcia whimpered, tears starting to run down her cheeks even as Rossi engulfed her in a hug, the Italian profiler's eyes shining with tears.

"I don't have a choice. I leave in September." JJ said quietly. She opened her mouth to continue, but a disturbingly familiar voice rang through the conference room,cutting her off.

"When were you going to tell me, then?" he asked, and JJ spun around.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Argh. I just want to write a bunch of really sappy and angsty shiz. I don't know why. I just do.**

At the sound of the all-too-familiar voice echoing through her conference room, JJ turned to face her now ex-husband, although she knew it was him just from the thick southern drawl that seems to slip under her skin, making her shudder. As usual, his pale blue eyes were darkened with anger, not an unusual sight for JJ.

"I said, when were you plannin' on telling me, Jayje?"Will repeated, his voice more aggressive this time. As angry as he was at the deception and being left out of the loop, the ex-detective was smart; he knew better than to go after his ex-wife when she was standing in the middle of a public space,especially with her team and her muscle-head of a boyfriend there with her.

"When it applied to you, Will." JJ said calmly, but her voice had a bitter edge to it. "Which, considering I have the legal custody of Henry, would've been never." In an instant, the broken, hurting JJ was gone, and with the threat of her ex-husband here, JJ instantly switched into the brutally cold attitude she reserved only for him.

"Oh, so who's goin' to watch him then?" Will retorted. "You were jus' gonna take him overseas with you, since you seem to be so clingy?" At his increasingly low blows, Morgan tensed and stepped up behind JJ, opening his mouth to speak, but the look on the blonde's face as she turned to look at him had him stepping back, well aware that this was one of the times JJ needed to handle the situation alone.

"Actually, I had planned to give Derek and Garcia custody while I was away, since it's a short tour." JJ responded calmly. "Since it seems that you're no longer capable of being a father." Her last statement was mostly true; the last time Henry had come back from Will's, many months ago, the young boy had reported that he hadn't seen his father leave his bedroom most of the weekend; the man had been busy with some 'naked lady who screamed a lot.' After that event, JJ had taken full custody of Henry, and Will now only got occasional supervised visits.

Will scoffed. "Of course you would leave it to your little lover boy, considering you've got him all wrapped around your pretty little finger, and God knows that you'd trust Garcia with literally everything!" he snapped, at this point well past simple anger. At the low blow to her team, JJ's eyes narrowed and she stepped closer to her ex-husband, until she was literally inches away from the man. For a moment, the man seemed somewhat scared but the sudden aggression on JJ's part, but he quickly masked it with a cocky smirk.

"Let me tell you something, William." JJ spit, and in that moment, it was very clear that this was not a JJ to be messed with. Many people had seen her get angry or frustrated with her job, but never this far. "There are a lot of things that I will take from you, and a lot of things that I did take from you that I probably shouldn't have. But let me make one thing clear."

In the long pause before she resumed talking, JJ took a moment to pull her gun and blow the non-existent dust off it. As she turned to face Will, there was nothing on his face but a mixture of shock and fear, the shock an emotion echoed by the team behind her. JJ was not an aggressive person normally, and anyone who knew her would know that it was because of all the stress that she snapped.

"There are two things that I will not take from you. Ever." JJ spit. "One. You will never, ever, threaten or act derogatorily towards my team. Two. You will not ever. Expect to see your son on your schedule, if I let you see him again at all. Now," she said calmly, suddenly sickeningly sweet. She pressed her gun to Will's groin, and the southern man's eyes widened, and for a moment, Morgan went to step up and pull her away, but Hotch put his hand on Morgan's shoulder, trusting JJ to keep a handle on herself.

"Next time I catch you coming around without notice, I'll blow your friend all to hell, no matter how cute our son turned out. Clear?" Will nodded numbly, his eyes wide, and JJ tucked her gun away. "Now get out of here."

As she turned around, the New Orleans man took no time in vacating the premises, as JJ took in the shocked faces of her team. "Nobody. Ever. Messes. With. My. Family." the blonde said simply. "sometimes I have to make that clear. Now, who has coffee?"


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Sorry it took me so long to get everything updated, I just moved my mom across town, so I didn't get wifi up until late last night. :/ But I'm back now, so it's okay.**

For the team, the day seemed to slip by, work taking the majority of their time like any other day. For JJ, the day seemed to creep by, minutes seeming more like hours. She couldn't keep herself from glancing up and out the window, the faces of her coworkers as the worked her main focus. She knew the probability of her return; it was very good. She was only working as a media liaison, which meant she would only be dealing with the press, detailing what they could and couldn't release. She would almost never go off the American base, which meant that she would be relatively safe.

But there was still that nagging feeling that she couldn't chase away. What if she didn't return? Or she returned... different? They'd seen cases where returning home from overseas, or even from a battlefield, caused veterans to go insane, to the point where one killed his own family. Would that be her? Could she find it in herself to return to this job after her time was over?

Would they want her back? Would they just find another agent to replace her all over again, like they had with Emily? She remembered the harsh faces when Emily returned, the long time period where she was fighting for the team's trust once more, before she finally departed. Would Derek want her back? She loved her boyfriend with her whole heart, and was grateful for how much that he'd done for her and Henry after Will left them in such a mess. She knew he loved her, but JJ wasn't stupid. She knew Derek's old habits, old behaviors, like the back of her hand, and she knew that three years overseas was a long time for them to be away from each other.

She put her head on her desk with a small thud, not caring about the files that slipped off the edge. The thought of losing Derek scared her, scared the part of her that had become so reliant on having her partner, her best friend, her confidante, there for her.

Of course, their relationship hadn't exactly been the most practical from the beginning. After Will left, JJ was a mess. Garcia had taken Henry for the weekend so that she could settle things, and when the stress had become too much, Derek, her confidante and best friend at the time, had come to pick her up, taking her out for a night on the town.

At the time, she had been resistant to the idea. She knew Derek Morgan, and she knew his weekend habits. If there was anything she couldn't take right now, it was having the one person she was truly leaning on leave her behind. But he didn't- he stayed with her all night, drinking with her and listening to her drunken rants about Will.

When he had finally taken her home, he walked her to her front door, making sure she unlocked the door and got inside. She turned around to say goodnight, and standing on the sill of her door, she was as tall as he was. To her surprise, he leaned over and kissed her he pulled away, JJ had blushed.

"Do you want to come in?" She had asked, and Derek just smiled and shook his head.

"I'm alright." he said, leaning against the wall of her porch, his hands in his pockets. She had frowned, confused by what she had done wrong.

"But with the other girls.. you always.." She had managed to get out through the drunken stupor clouding her judgement.

Derek had smiled again, putting his hands on her shoulders. "JJ, look at me." he had said softly, and when she complied, he looked her in the eyes. "You're right, that's what I did with the other girls. But I don't want you to be like the other girls. I want to do this right with you, not just have a one night stand." And with that, he had kissed her on the forehead and walked back to his car, leaving JJ standing in the doorway of her home, stunned.

With a sigh, she shook herself out of her reverie and knelt behind her desk, picking up the files she had knocked off and reorganizing them. As she shuffled the papers, she had missed the quiet knock at her door.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hola, bitches. So my summer life has gone to the dogs, so I'm writing. haha. c:**

Having not noticed the quiet knock on her door, JJ turned back to the files, but still couldn't really bring herself to focus. Some part of her wouldn't shut up, constantly reminding her that the dead bodies at the crime scenes could be her on the battlefield, only no one would bother to even try and investigate her death.

When the knock came again, JJ didn't bother to look up from the case file as she called the intruder in."How can I-" she started to say, but was cut off by someone grabbing her wrist, spinning her up out of her office chair and into his arms. In an instant, she recognized the dark, calloused hands holding her waist, and she looked up into the smiling face of her boyfriend.

"Come to Vegas with me." Derek said, resting his forehead against JJ's gently. "It's a Friday. We'll take the weekend, turn our cellphones off, tell the team we're busy."

JJ shook her head, confused. She pulled away slightly, frowning as she looked at Derek's smug face. "Derek, what on earth are you talking about?" she asked."This isn't exactly the time to be out gambling."

Derek shook his head, pulling JJ close to him again. "I wasn't talking about gambling, Jayje." he said, putting his hands on her arms, just below her shoulders, as if to keep her from running. "Elope with me."

"What?" JJ shrieked. "Derek, what are you... are you drunk?" she was honestly surprised by his reaction, figuring that he would never be the man to settle down.

"No, JJ, I'm perfectly sober." Derek said, shutting her door. "Just listen to me for a minute, alright?" He gently pushed JJ into a seat on the couch, choosing to seat himself across from her. JJ nodded mutely, still too shell-shocked to argue with him. "You know what I realized? If something...If something were to happen to you out there, when you're out on tour, you know who they would contact? Who they would send your flag to? Will. Because he's the closest you have to a significant other legally." He moved to sit next to JJ, taking one of her hands in both of his. "He wouldn't care. If something were to happen to you, I want to be the one to get your flag. When you come back, I want to be the one holding the big sign that says 'hey, see the beautiful blonde? That's my wife.' I want you to be able to look down at your hand anytime you're missing me and remember that I love you."

There was a long silent pause before JJ finally shook her head slowly. "I can't." she said quietly. "I just...I can't." Hurt flashed across Derek's face before he pushed it back.

"Why, Jayje?" Derek asked. "You know how much I love you. I wish it didn't have to be so impulsive, but we don't have enough time to plan the dream wedding I wish we could have."

"Because..." JJ tensed, pulling away from Derek's gentle touch. "Because I know you. I want to marry you, I do, so much, but I'm just scared that I'm going to come home and you won't be the same, or I won't be the same, and one of us just won't love the other anymore."

"You think you're going to leave and I'm just going to fall back into my old playboy routine." Derek said softly, only this time it wasn't soft with affection; it was soft in an effort to control his temper. "My mother raised a gentleman, JJ, not a fool."

"Derek.." JJ said softly, reaching out to put her hand on his arm, but he yanked away.

"Don't, JJ." Derek said, standing up. "Just don't. You don't trust me, that's fine. I get it. I wasn't the best guy in my younger years. But I love you. Have I ever given you reason to think that I don't? That I would betray you for some cheap girl in a club?"

"No, I just.." JJ sighed and held her head in her hands.

"You just think that I'll fall in love with someone else while you're gone." Derek said bluntly. "Fine, JJ, if that's what you want. I'll just let you get back to work. I've got to go pick up Henry from school, and we'll be at home when, or if, you decide on joining us." He stepped out of her office, nearly slamming the door as he crossed the bullpen with long strides.

As soon as her door shut, JJ broke into tears. Once again, she blamed herself, knowing that this time it really was her fault. She just couldn't shut off her overactive imagination, and that was going to end up costing her what she just couldn't lose: Derek.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Let's write alllllllllllll the chapters. Yus. c:**

Eventually, JJ got herself back under control, but she couldn't shake the sinking feeling that she was losing what mattered most; her family. Henry had fallen in love with Derek, and already referred to him as his 'new daddy.' Often times, it was Derek that Henry would call for, want to see, not her so much anymore. If Derek left her, no matter what the circumstances, it would crush her son. While she would be heartbroken, her first priority was always her son.

Absently, lost in thoughts of her strange little family, JJ absently touched the locket that Derek had given her on Valentine's day last year. The tiny heart held a photo of the three of them, with an infinity symbol carved on the front. It had become a part of her daily wear, something she took with her everywhere, a reminder that her life didn't always revolve around the dark and heinous things that the criminals did.

JJ was shaken from her reverie by the loud knock and imminent open door, a sure sign that Hotch had come to see her. "Hey Hotch, what do you need?" she asked, looking up at the dark haired man and hoping that her over-active emotions weren't obvious.

"We've got a case. Wheels up in ten. We're heading to Pennsylvania." Hotch said, sighing. "Sorry to drop it on you so soon."

JJ frowned deeply. "Hotch, I didn't approve any cases in Pennsylvania, and you haven't even gotten the cases that I approved." she said. "What's going on?"

"This case came to me directly." Hotch said. "The guys at the local field office in Pittsburgh tried to handle it first, but it proved to be too much for them, so they emailed me directly instead of going through the official channels."

JJ nodded, standing up and grabbing her go-bag from underneath her desk. "Has anyone contacted Derek yet? He went to go pick up Henry." she said, swinging the strap over her shoulder and grabbing her gun and badge off the table, tucking her phone into her pocket.

Hotch nodded. "He's meeting us at the airport." he said, holding the door for JJ. "I can give you a ride."

JJ threw a smile over her shoulder gratefully. "Thanks, Hotch. That would be great. I rode in with Derek this morning, so he has the car." Hotch nodded, putting his hand in between her shoulder blades and walking her to his SUV.

"What kind of case are we looking at?" JJ asked, even as the SUV started and headed for the airport.

"Mass murder." Hotch said. "He's waiting for churches around the state to host marriages, usually smaller ones, and then goes in, acting as a guest, before shooting everyone and disappearing."

JJ swallowed hard and nodded, knowing this case was going to be tough for her; not just because of the obvious marital drama that would be occurring all around her, but also because Pittsburgh was her hometown, and if there were murders there, it was very likely that she knew the victims personally.

On the plane, most of the agents were making small talk, greeting Hotch, but when JJ walked on, they fell silent, and the air was obviously tense. Swallowing hard and assuming that they had all heard from Derek about her rejection of his elopement idea, she sat near a window, away from everyone else, and put her earbuds in, relying on the comforting sounds of Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton to drown out everything else.

She felt the seat shift next to her, and looking over, saw that Spencer had sat next to her, and was looking at her with concern. Suddenly realizing her eyes were full of tears, she blinked hard and shook her head slightly, as if telling him not to worry. Nodding slightly, but obviously still concerned, Spencer wrapped her in a hug, and it took all JJ had not to just break down and cry. It had all started with the loss of her family, and now the very family that she had trusted was tearing away her friends too, and she was definitely grateful for any support she could get.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Soooo much writing. Ship ship ship. Oh, and I'm on Facebook now. Find me at Stormofimagination Fanfiction!**

With Spencer's brotherly support, JJ was finally able to get herself under control and emotionally compartmentalize enough to be able to focus on the case. Spencer chose to keep his arm around JJ's shoulders, and she tried her hardest to ignore Derek's eyes burning into from across the jet. Thankful that Spencer had whispered her the case details, she was able to keep up and even input into the case.

"This man is killing entire families at weddings." JJ said. "So he probably had a wedding go wrong, maybe even dealt with someone getting cold feet and disappearing at the ceremony."

Derek nodded. "Maybe it was even before the wedding. Maybe he dealt with a rejection when he was convinced that his partner would follow through with the idea when he suggested it." he said, and JJ's hand tightened ever so slightly on her knee, well aware that he was trying to get under her skin.

"Maybe it wasn't his partner who ran out at the last moment. Maybe it was himself, and he blames himself for breaking his partner's heart, and when he went to explain, his partner wanted nothing to do with him, so he believes that if he can't have a happy ending, no one can." JJ retorted.

Before Derek could open his mouth to return her verbal blow, Hotch literally stepped in between the two of them and cut in. "Look, I understand you two are tense, but right now is not the time. You both promised me from the start that when you two began a relationship that it wouldn't affect your professional behavior. Right now especially, I need you two on top of the game."

They both nodded meekly, realizing that their respected Unit Chief and close friend had a point. For a moment, the plane fell to an awkward silence as the agents, and the team, realized just how serious both this case and the fight between the close lovers was.

"So how is this going down?" Emily asked, choosing to be the one to focus them all back down to the case and to break the tense silence. While no audible sound was made, the team relaxed with a nonverbal sigh.

"Since Derek and JJ are the only natural pair amongst the team, they're going undercover at a local church in Pittsburgh. They'll be acting as a couple, while the rest of us and SWAT will be established as 'family guests,' as well as some real civilians." Hotch said. "If this guy shows up, we'll bust him. Everyone will be in undercover body armor and there will be snipers on the rooftops around the church."

"How are we dealing with costumes?" JJ asked grimly, well-aware that this case would make both her and Derek tense after their recent fight, and that there was no point in fighting fate, so she might as well buckle down and deal with it.

"To make it realistic, JJ, you and Morgan will be staying with your parents. They're aware of the situation, and have arranged to have appointments set up for you with both dress stores and tux stores. The rest of us will 'arrive' in town at various times, making it seem as if we really are a wedding party." Hotch said. "Garcia and Emily will arrive first, playing your bridesmaids. Spencer and Rossi will arrive at different times afterwards as the best men, and I'll arrive last as a friend of the family."


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I'm now on Facebook as Stormofimagination Fanfiction and Twiiter as ThisCMWriterGal, so hit me up guys!**

There was no way to make this hell any worse. As the already plastic press smile once again plastered itself to her face as she and Morgan were greeted by her parents, she could feel the dark eyes of her boyfriend glittering behind her as she hugged her mother and father. She tried to feel something, some genuine happiness to see her parents, but she didn't want to pretend this; she wanted this to be real, to be meeting her parents in Pittsburgh, to be having the team fly in, not for a undercover job, but because she wanted to be really getting married. And not married to anyone, but to Derek.

But this was all an act. All a bittersweet performance for the freak show they were hunting down. The thought brought tears to her eyes, but she rapidly blinked them away. If this unsub was really watching them, any sign that something was wrong would trigger him, maybe even send him on a spree. So she swallowed back the lump in her throat and forced another smile, grateful when her mother ushered them all inside, making it marginally more covered.

As JJ's mother puttered around, bringing them coffee and tea, JJ and Morgan sat on the loveseat across from her father. Morgan had comfortably slung his arm around JJ's shoulders, and JJ leaned against Morgan's chest, relaxing despite the fact they were on a case.

"So, how long have you two known each other?" JJ's father asked, and JJ looked up at Morgan, smiling.

"well, we've known each other since we got to the BAU, so..." JJ said, frowning and chewing her lip, trying to do the math as to just how long they had known each other, knowing the number off the top of her head, but trying to make it seem more realistic.

"Going on fourteen years, but we've been together for a little over two." Morgan said, and JJ couldn't hold back a chuckle, for once finally feeling like she didn't have to act like she was enjoying herself.

"Way to make me feel like I'm getting old, babe." JJ said, rolling her eyes. "I try to deny I've been working that long. I'm almost 37." Morgan laughed.

"You're not old, blondie." He said, leaning down and kissing the top of JJ's nose, making her giggle. "You're just you."

JJ's father chuckled. "Well, good to see that you two are comfortable around each other." he said, smiling. "I haven't heard JJ laugh like that for a long time. She's always so serious."

JJ couldn't fight the blush, which only deepened at Morgan's words. "That's alright, sir, because I'm usually not serious, so I try and lighten her up." he said, smiling. "We tend to be a silly couple."

JJ's father smiled. "No need for the sir." he said. "JJ's not in high school anymore, and you two are getting married. Peter is fine." he held his hand out, and Morgan shook it heartily. JJ swore she could've seen a wink pass between the two of them, but shook her head, assuming she was imagining it.

"Oh, yay, we're all cooperating in time to get you guys settled in." JJ's mother said, smiling, her hands on her hips. "Obviously, I'm Anna, by the way, or mom. Mom is always good." This time she visibly winked at JJ, causing her dying blush to flare back up. "Derek, you and Jennifer will crash in the loft. It's fully set up with bed and blankets, so it's not all dust and mildew."

JJ smiled. "Thanks, mom." she said. "I need to get some rest, so I think I'm going to head up to bed." she kissed both her parent's cheeks in turn, then went up the stairs and ladder to the loft, where her heart sunk. There was only one double bed, so there wasn't room for her and Derek to have the space they needed after a fight. So, with a sigh, she pulled the extra blankets out of the dresser, thankful the loft had no windows. Making up a bed on the floor, she curled up and closed her eyes.

Just as she was about to fall asleep,she heard someone come upstairs, and heard a familiar sigh that could only be Derek. His strong arms gently lifted her up and cradled her close to his chest,setting her on the bed and tucking her in before changing into pajamas.

"I'm not angry with you, baby, but if space is what you want, that's what I'll give you." Derek said softly, kissing her forehead and laying down on the bed she had made up on the floor. JJ's heart throbbed at the tender tone in his voice.

"Derek.." JJ whispered, and knew, despite the darkness, that he had sat up. "Come stay with me." She heard as he stood up and slipped into bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.


End file.
